World’s End is not some lamentation about the single digit temperatures we’ve seen in these parts; it’s one of the great place names in the Hudson Highlands from 40 to 55 miles north of the the Statue. Enjoy these summer/winter pics of this curve in the vicinity of World’s End. West Point is just to the left, and we’re headed north.

Birk Thomas–of tugboat information.com– took this photo in just about the same place less than a week ago.

Here was 15. The first relief crew post appeared here over seven years ago. The idea is to feature someone else’s photos and/or writing, just because so many of you see, photograph, and write such interesting stuff AND –of course–because collaboration is such powerful leaven.

All these photos today come from Birk Thomas. The event was the departure last week of CV-60 USS Saratoga–Brooklyn built–for the scrapyard. For some intriguing photos of the other end of her life, click here for this navsource site.

As Harvey (1931) made its way northward from a dry dock visit, Slater (1944) was a hundred miles upriver, making its way south. The next two photos come from Birk Thomas, taken north of Newburgh NY as sun was lowering onto the hills in the west.

When this event happened on Memorial Day in the sixth boro, I wrote about it as “cast.” The New London cast right after the 4th of July was quite different. All these fotos come with thanks to Birk Thomas, now at sea. Ferry New London is automatically part of the local and daily cast .

Thames (rhymes with “james” ) Towboat Company’s John P. Wronowski (2004) was built in Florida.

Gwendolyn (1975) was built in Louisiana.

USCGC Eagle began to take shape in Hamburg in 1936.

USS Carter Hall had her keel laid in Louisiana in 1991.

Adam uses her 450 hp mostly around the Thames Towboat Company yards, where it was built.

Patricia Ann came out of a Louisiana shipyard as a YTB on hull #758 . . to Hercules #766, now in Nigeria.

Figureheads need inspection.

John P. and Paul A. Wronowski (1980 in Connecticut) assistUSS Carter Hall into its berth. Paul A. was one of the first z-drive tugs ever built.

Ticonderoga (1936 by Herreshoff in Boston as Tioga) begs to be seen from closer, much closer.

Ferry Race Point is cast, even if she’s really working the run to Fisher’s Island.

Behold Wolf . . . she flies the flag of the Conch Republic, where I found myself exactly a year ago!

Cisne Branco . . . like Eagle was in the sixth boro almost two months ago.

I suppose I could call this “random and gorgeous tug fotos I wish I’d taken.”

Thanks to John Skelson for this one of Coastline Bay Star. I’ve seen this vessel only once in this incarnation of her, but it was in Belt traffic from which a foto was impossible. John nails it here. What a beaut!!

The rest come from Birk Thomas. This series I just find stunning: Gramma Lee T turns out after escorting her Nth vessel. I’m wondering if there’s an actual count of assists for her decade of service since her June 2002 delivery. Happy Decade 1 celebration.

Many thanks to Birk Thomas for these fotos. I find this a case of beauty that’s often there but mostly unappreciated because it’s a scene just not frequently or easily seen. Here was non-boro tugs 2.

The tug and barge are clearing US customs re-entering the US off New London on a run homeward from Halifax.

The barge–which had transported power plant components from the Mississippi to Halifax–was clearly light. For a view of Gulf Cajun and the loaded barge arriving in Halifax, check Tugfax site here. From Halifax, the cargo will move to a Vale nickel-processingproject in Newfoundland.

Here she is, Gulf Cajun, 1976, 5600 hp, and as chance would

have it, even tonight, she’s off Atlantic City, leaving Long Island to port. Although these fotos show her a creature of the deep blue sea, in many ways she resembles Atlantic Salvor, currently shuttling sixth boro dredge spoils out of the harbor channels.